By Letitia Bottino
Contributing Writer
Living in an age of technology provides students with plenty of ways to perform tasks both big and small. More importantly, for the millennial generation, completing these tasks causes us to rely heavily on online sources.
When it comes to education, students across the globe have utilized the benefits of online schooling. More specifically, graduate students are trying to finish their professional education while busy with their own daily lives. The convenience and efficiency of online graduate programs is growing exponentially while positively impacting the student population.
Dr. Mike Hoffman, associate provost and chief information officer at St. Bonaventure University, provided information about online graduate programs and its benefits along with statistics on its growth and effectiveness.
“We define them as programs taught 100 percent online for geographic convenience,” said Hoffman. “It extends the ability for a student outside our area to get an SBU education. You can have a full-time job and do course work at night. Not having to leave home makes this more flexible, which in turn makes it more popular.”
SBU allows students from everywhere in the nation with a Wi-Fi connection to experience a St. Bonaventure education. This favorable option has sparked growth in its usage, according to statistics.
Hoffman said that at the start of the program in the fall of 2013, there were a total of 19 students participating, and since then, those numbers have successfully ascended. Last fall, the program had a total of 80 participants, which grew to 176 total participants this fall from all over the nation.
“Sixty percent of students are located at a remote distance from the school,” Hoffman said. “We have students in California, Florida, Texas and more.”
With such a diverse range of students participating, the demographic of students using the program is increasing, which helps the overall consistency of the program. The growth of the program has definitely been impactful, and these numbers clearly suggest participation growth in the future.
Quality of education is also a common concern with taking online courses. One may assume that without a classroom setting, getting the proper hands-on education isn’t possible.
For this reason, many students prefer living at school or commuting rather than taking online courses. However, online graduate schooling measures up to a similar – if not the same – quality in education, according to Hoffman.
“Students can expect the same quality of education depending on what that student is looking for, whether it be for a resume or promotion,” said Hoffman. “There are online discussion boards, which means students are actively participating and experiencing the same rigor in their courses as they would being in a classroom.”
The benefits of online graduate programs are plentiful and clearly an excellent choice for students looking for a “convenient, quality education, right from their phone or desktop.” The benefits of these programs will eventually allow education to reach people worldwide from all different walks of life, wherever they may be.
bottinlm17@bonaventure.edu
